Miami Marlins links, 7/18/18: All-Star Game edition

J.T. in D.C.

J.T. Realmuto was nearly heroic in the All-Star Game Tuesday night. He had walked to get on base in the ninth inning before the Reds’ Scooter Gennett drove him in with a game-tying home run. The National League had taken the momentum for the first time in the game, but last year’s World Series decided to repeat itself, and the AL would go on to win 8-6.

The 27-year-old’s first plate appearance of the game was so good, we set it to music:

All week, we’ve tracked J.T.’s experience in our nation’s capital, where he also won the admiration of his teammates:

Prior to the game, the star catcher discussed a possible trade or extension with the Marlins, as well as other topics. Of course, the All-Star game wasn’t even the biggest thing to happen to him this week!

Juan Pierre never made an All-Star team, but he still holds an All-Star record.

Local TV ratings

John Ourand of SportsBusiness Journal finds that the measured MLB television audience has held steady year to year (subscription required).

However, the Marlins are in one of the several individual markets experiencing a noticeable drop-off. Despite performing similarly in the standings to the 2017 team, a lack of proven talent has contributed to a 17 percent decline in the FOX Sports Florida audience. Perhaps the play-by-play change from Rich Waltz to Paul Severino is another factor?

Awful Announcing also summarized the research (no paywall).

Up next:

The Fish don’t play again until Friday in Tampa. But as we move to the second half, fans can look forward to seeing the Process evolve, says the Herald.